Box Office Theory's Top 100 Horror Movies: Vol. 2 | #1 has been revealed!

[baumer]

8 hours ago, Plain Old Tele said:

I didn’t realize this was the list of “decent to good” horror movies. 
 

 

(I know, I know, I didn’t vote.)

 

Forget it Tele, it's the forums.

[Ipickthiswhiterose]

Delighted to see Peeping Tom, Mouth of Madness, Devil's Backbone and Prince of Darkness make it onto the list. Not films I would have expected to see but absolutely deserving - and as far as I'm concerned in the case of Peeping Tom, essential. Reappraisal of the apocalypse trilogy as a whole has been a long time coming, one day it'll happen with Ghosts of Mars too.

 

The Omen falling in notoriety is a pattern I've noticed in academic circles as well. Might be due to the increase in status of Rosemary's Baby potentially. It was a bit hit with significant cultural impact at the time and that can take a while to fade. Or it could just be happenstance.

 

I've still only see Let the Right One In once. It was good. I probably need to rewatch it.

 

Quiet Place is popular. I don't have much to say about it. Glad people enjoy it.

 

The Birds is one of my most disliked movies. Creepy for all the wrong reasons. At least with Michael Bay and Megan Fox she knew what he was doing, Tippi Hedren had no idea. And the film itself I find to be emperor's new clothesesque - if it wasn't made by a man who was otherwise a proven genius, I don't think any of us would have heard of it.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Ipickthiswhiterose

[Krissykins]

Ooh quite a lot of the films I submitted on this lineup. 
 

247. The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

249. Child's Play (1988)

252. High Tension (2003)

255. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

257. The Mist (2007)

259. The Strangers (2008)

264. Paranormal Activity 2 (2009)

271. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987)

277. Cherry Falls (2000)

279. Deep Blue Sea (1999)

281. Freddy vs Jason (2003)

286. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

301. Valentine (2001)

311. Black Christmas (2006)

312. Bride of Chucky (1998)

318. Friday the 13th (2009)

325. Jason X (2001)

330. Piranha 3D (2010)

 

I got “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” into the top 300 and almost for “Valentine”, an achievement 😂

 

Surprised “Child’s Play” is so low. And I think the 2009 Friday the 13th film is the best of that franchise too: 

[baumer]

Not a big fan of the Birds.  First of all, I didn't care for the film.  I found it to be one of Hitchcock's weaker efforts.  But to @Ipickthiswhiterose point, yes, it's even more icky now that over the past few years we've learned how Hitchcock not only stalked her but physically assaulted her and threatened to ruin her career.  I know we're supposed to separate the film from the behind  the scenes stuff but in this case, Tippi's story makes it hard to enjoy the Birds, or Marnie.

[Ipickthiswhiterose]

24 minutes ago, baumer said:

Not a big fan of the Birds.  First of all, I didn't care for the film.  I found it to be one of Hitchcock's weaker efforts.  But to @Ipickthiswhiterose point, yes, it's even more icky now that over the past few years we've learned how Hitchcock not only stalked her but physically assaulted her and threatened to ruin her career.  I know we're supposed to separate the film from the behind  the scenes stuff but in this case, Tippi's story makes it hard to enjoy the Birds, or Marnie.

 

The first time I watched The Birds I picked up on it straight away. I didn't know the real life story, it just stood out to me immediately that the only reason the entire movie was a framing device for an old man to perv on a young woman. It's why I find it so confusing that it still gets good repute, the birds element is just - from my perspective - totally tacked on and Hitchcock isn't interested in them. I can understand separating the artist from the art, but in this case the art IS the artist.

 

Watching it feels like looking at a 2 hour upskirt shot.  

Edited October 27, 2021 by Ipickthiswhiterose

[WrathOfHan]

5 hours ago, Ipickthiswhiterose said:

Delighted to see Peeping Tom, Mouth of Madness, Devil's Backbone and Prince of Darkness make it onto the list. Not films I would have expected to see but absolutely deserving - and as far as I'm concerned in the case of Peeping Tom, essential. Reappraisal of the apocalypse trilogy as a whole has been a long time coming, one day it'll happen with Ghosts of Mars too.

 

The Omen falling in notoriety is a pattern I've noticed in academic circles as well. Might be due to the increase in status of Rosemary's Baby potentially. It was a bit hit with significant cultural impact at the time and that can take a while to fade. Or it could just be happenstance.

 

I've still only see Let the Right One In once. It was good. I probably need to rewatch it.

 

Quiet Place is popular. I don't have much to say about it. Glad people enjoy it.

 

The Birds is one of my most disliked movies. Creepy for all the wrong reasons. At least with Michael Bay and Megan Fox she knew what he was doing, Tippi Hedren had no idea. And the film itself I find to be emperor's new clothesesque - if it wasn't made by a man who was otherwise a proven genius, I don't think any of us would have heard of it.

 

 

 

 

 

50 minutes ago, baumer said:

Not a big fan of the Birds.  First of all, I didn't care for the film.  I found it to be one of Hitchcock's weaker efforts.  But to @Ipickthiswhiterose point, yes, it's even more icky now that over the past few years we've learned how Hitchcock not only stalked her but physically assaulted her and threatened to ruin her career.  I know we're supposed to separate the film from the behind  the scenes stuff but in this case, Tippi's story makes it hard to enjoy the Birds, or Marnie.

I have a love/hate relationship with The Birds. I think there are truly fantastic scenes within it, but as a whole, it lacks the weight of other Hitchcock films and has boring stretches. I put it on my list somewhere in the 50s or 60s.

Edited October 27, 2021 by WrathOfHan

[WrathOfHan]

59. Signs (2002) (38 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director and Screenwriter: M. Night Shyamalan

 

Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix

 

Synopsis: A widowed former priest living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.

 

Box Office: 408.2M

 

Critical Reviews: 74% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 6

Average Position: 46th

Top 5 Placements: 1

 

 

M. Night Shyamalan’s second appearance on the countdown is one of his classics, Signs. Fresh off the successes of The Sixth Sense (13th on 2018’s countdown) and Unbreakable, Shyamalan’s sci-fi horror released to massive hype as audiences were itching to see the director’s next twist. The film broke August box office records and is still the director’s second highest grossing film behind his breakout hit. In one of the last times he was ever palatable to many, Mel Gibson leads the film as he and Joaquin Phoenix uncover what’s happening on their farm, tinfoil hats and all. Signs cemented Shyamalan’s capabilities in the genre, and it should be no surprise that audiences continue to gravitate towards his films (see #89).

 

Signs received the same number of submissions as Split did in the 2018 countdown, albeit with a much lower average position. Will Split and The Sixth Sense appear again?

 

 

 

[Krissykins]

I really hope Split isn’t anywhere near this list, ha. Signs on the other hand, is genuinely effective. 

[WrathOfHan]

58. The Invisible Man (1933) (38 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: James Whale

 

Screenwriter: R.C. Sherriff

 

Starring: Gloria Stuart, Claude Rains, William Harrigan, Dudley Digges, Una O’Connor, Henry Travers, Forrester Harvey

 

Synopsis: A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.

 

Box Office: 328k

 

Critical Reviews: 94% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 7

Average Position: 49th

Top 10 Placements: 2

 

 

Coming in a bit higher than its recent remake, The Invisible Man arrives as the second Universal Classic Monster film on the countdown. James Whale’s film takes heavy inspiration from its source material by H.G. Wells and delivers a short, effective take on the character. The look of the titular monster remains a Halloween favorite too. Thanks to Whannell’s remake, a lot of forum members discovered this for the first time recently, giving The Invisible Man a deserving spot on this year’s countdown.

 

With two Top 10 placements, The Invisible Man received a great boost despite a somewhat low average position.

 

[WrathOfHan]

57. Malignant (2021) (40 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: James Wan

 

Screenwriters: James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, Akela Cooper

 

Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Jacqueline McKenzie, Michole Briana White

 

Synopsis: Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.

 

Box Office: 33.2M

 

Critical Reviews: 76% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 6

Average Position: 30th

Top 10 Placements: 1

 

 

Speaking of good Halloween costumes, GABRIEL is sure to be a hit this year. James Wan’s Malignant only came out 7 weeks ago and has already become a new favorite with genre fans. Taking heavy inspiration from giallo films, Wan goes all in on the story’s campiness and presents a high budget, modern B-movie. Featuring some of the director’s most gruesome setpieces in his filmography, Malignant is unlike any other recent horror release. All hail GABRIEL.

 

Malignant has one of the highest average positions in a while at 30th. The Gabriel hive succeeded at getting the film in.

 

[CoolioD1]

gabriel my king.

[WrathOfHan]

56. The Wolf Man (1941) (40 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: George Waggner

 

Screenwriters: Curt Siodmak

 

Starring: Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, Maria Ouspenskaya, Evelyn Ankers, Lon Chaney Jr.

 

Synopsis: Larry Talbot returns to his father's castle in Wales and meets a beautiful woman. One fateful night, Talbot escorts her to a local carnival where they meet a mysterious gypsy fortune teller.

 

Box Office: 180k

 

Critical Reviews: 90% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 7

Average Position: 45th

Top 10 Placements: 2

 

 

George Waggner’s The Wolf Man is the third UCM film to appear. Featuring Lon Chaney Jr.’s first performance as a classic monster following his father, The Wolf Man’s cast includes notable genre names such as Claude Rains and Bela Lugosi. Like The Invisible Man, its short runtime allows the titular monster to shine with some of the most impressive makeup of its era. The film spawned one failed remake in 2009 with Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins, and Derek Cianfrance is about to provide his interpretation with Ryan Gosling. Will it be able to top the 1941 classic and show up on the next countdown? Time will tell.

 

The Wolf Man’s number of submissions mirrored The Invisible Man with two Top 10 placements. The average position was four spots higher at 45th.

 

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

55. The Ring (2002) (41.25 Points)

Previous Ranking: #16 (-39)

 

Director: Gore Verbinski

 

Screenwriter: Ehren Kruger

 

Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox

 

Synopsis: A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.

 

Box Office: 249.3M

 

Critical Reviews: 71% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 8

Average Position: 31st

Top 10 Placements: 2

 

Gore Verbinski’s The Ring appears with a big drop from the Top 20 in 2018. Fortunately, the film remains one of Verbinski’s most remembered works with excellent suspense and scares. Samara has been etched into pop culture and still receives references nearly 20 years later. The Ring is one of the rare American remakes that works.

 

The Ring received four fewer submissions than it did in 2018 with two Top 10 placements instead of one in the Top 5. Fortunately, its average position didn’t fall too much from 21st to 31st. If the second Top 10 placement was on a list without the point penalty, it would’ve been in the 30s.

 

 

[The Panda]

38 minutes ago, WrathOfHan said:

56. The Wolf Man (1941) (40 Points)

Previous Ranking: N/A (NEW)

 

Director: George Waggner

 

Screenwriters: Curt Siodmak

 

Starring: Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, Maria Ouspenskaya, Evelyn Ankers, Lon Chaney Jr.

 

Synopsis: Larry Talbot returns to his father's castle in Wales and meets a beautiful woman. One fateful night, Talbot escorts her to a local carnival where they meet a mysterious gypsy fortune teller.

 

Box Office: 180k

 

Critical Reviews: 90% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 7

Average Position: 45th

Top 10 Placements: 2

 

 

George Waggner’s The Wolf Man is the third UCM film to appear. Featuring Lon Chaney Jr.’s first performance as a classic monster following his father, The Wolf Man’s cast includes notable genre names such as Claude Rains and Bela Lugosi. Like The Invisible Man, its short runtime allows the titular monster to shine with some of the most impressive makeup of its era. The film spawned one failed remake in 2009 with Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins, and Derek Cianfrance is about to provide his interpretation with Ryan Gosling. Will it be able to top the 1941 classic and show up on the next countdown? Time will tell.

 

The Wolf Man’s number of submissions mirrored The Invisible Man with two Top 10 placements. The average position was four spots higher at 45th.

 

 

 

 

When I was small, my father showed me this movie and I had nightmares for months. During the night I would be terrified going to bed, especially when on most nights you could hear a pack of coyotes yipping from behind the backyard fence, and I heard my parents mention that gypsies had moved into our part of town. When it was time for bed, I would shiver under my covers praying "Please God, don't let the Wolf Man get me, let me forget about the Wolf Man!" and then tried to replay the Shrek 2 trailer over and over in my head so I could sleep in peace. Donkey's popping sound and Shrek's frustration at him was the one thing protecting me from the terrors of this movie.

Edited October 28, 2021 by The Panda

[baumer]

Finally!  A film I love makes the list.  Sad to see the Ring fall as much as it did, but good to see it's still on the list.  Samara and the TV  bit is one of the scariest scenes in horror history IMO.

[Chrysaor]

On 10/26/2021 at 7:10 PM, WrathOfHan said:

A look ahead at the 50s:

 

4 movies are post-2000, 2 from 2002 and 2 from the last four years

4 movies are pre-1970

2 films appeared in 2018's countdown, one of which was a Top 20 film last time

 

Here are the films that received 7, 6, and 5 points. As always, titles are sorted by number of lists and alphabetically (#246-59 received 7 points, #260 6.25, and #261-301 6, #302-340 5)

  Reveal hidden contents

 

246. Slither (2007)

247. The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

248. Arachnophobia (1990)

249. Child's Play (1988)

250. Cloverfield (2007)

251. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

252. High Tension (2003)

253. House of Usher (1960)

254. Inside (2007)

255. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

256. The Dead Zone (1983)

257. The Mist (2007)

258. The Pit & the Pendulum (1961)

259. The Strangers (2008)

260. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

261. The Tingler (1959)

262. Jaws 2 (1978)

263. I Spit on Your Grave (2006)

264. Paranormal Activity 2 (2009)

265. Pieces (1982)

266. Saint Maud (2020)

267. Session 9 (2001)

268. The Exorcist III (1990)

269. The Theatre of Blood (1973)

270. 28 Weeks Later (2007)

271. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987)

272. A Tale of Two Sisters (2002)

273. Apostle (2018)

274. Beetlejuice (1989)

275. Begotten (1990)

276. Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

277. Cherry Falls (2000)

278. Children of the Corn (1984)

279. Deep Blue Sea (1999)

280. Deep Rising (1989)

281. Freddy vs Jason (2003)

282. Frenzy (1972)

283. From Beyond (2007)

284. Halloween (2007)

285. I Am Legend (2007)

286. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

287. La Llorona (2020)

288. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

289. Santa Sangre (1989)

290. Seoul Station (2016)

291. Spanish Dracula (1931)

292. Tammy and the T-Rex (1994)

293. The Blob (1988)

294. The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973)

295. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

296. The Tenant (1976)

297. The Vanishing (1993)

298. The Wicker Man (2006)

299. They Live (1988)

300. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

301. Valentine (2006)

302. The Thing from Another World (1951)

303. Sleepaway Camp (1983)

304. The Bad Seed (1956)

305. The Borderlands (2013)

306. The Night House (2021)

307. The Ritual (2017)

308. Abominable Snowman (1957)

309. Antichrist (2009)

310. Berlin Syndrome (2017)

311. Black Christmas (2006)

312. Bride of Chucky (1988)

313. Calibre (2018)

314. Damien: The Omen II (1978)

315. Deathwatch (2002)

316. Dog Soldiers (2002)

317. Dressed to Kill (1980)

318. Friday the 13th (2009)

319. Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

320. Halloween 2 (2009)

321. House of Wax (1953)

322. How to Make a Monster (1958)

323. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in This House (2016)

324. Jack the Ripper (1959)

325. Jason X (2001)

326. Kill List (2011)

327. Kuroneko (1958)

328. One Cut of the Dead (2017)

329. Open Water (2004)

330. Piranha 3D (2010)

331. Pontypool (2008)

332. Run (2020)

333. Tag (2015)

334. The Body Snatcher (1949)

335. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

336. The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)

337. The Masque of Red Dead (1968)

338. The Mummy (1959)

339. Wallace and Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

340. World War Z (2013)

 

 

To whoever else voted for One Cut of the Dead, I salute you. For a second, I was excited that somebody else voted for Spanish Dracula, but it looks like that wasn't the case. For those who might not know the anecdote, during the filming of the Bela Lugosi classic a separate Spanish-language version was shot using the same sets, props, and costumes (and script, although some noticeable revisions were made) but a different cast and crew. More than just a cheap, knock-off of the English production, the Spanish language film, is a treasure in it's own right, and more there are those critics and historians who consider it to be superior to the Browning/Lugosi version. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't.

[WrathOfHan]

3 minutes ago, Chrysaor said:

To whoever else voted for One Cut of the Dead, I salute you. For a second, I was excited that somebody else voted for Spanish Dracula, but it looks like that wasn't the case. For those who might not know the anecdote, during the filming of the Bela Lugosi classic a separate Spanish-language version was shot using the same sets, props, and costumes (and script, although some noticeable revisions were made) but a different cast and crew. More than just a cheap, knock-off of the English production, the Spanish language film, is a treasure in it's own right, and more there are those critics and historians who consider it to be superior to the Browning/Lugosi version. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't.

I'm surprised it wasn't closer to the Top 100 considering it made the Top 100 Foreign Films when Devil's Backbone didn't.

[Tower]

1 hour ago, WrathOfHan said:

I'm surprised it wasn't closer to the Top 100 considering it made the Top 100 Foreign Films when Devil's Backbone didn't.

I voted for it in the foreign list but I didn't think it was horror so I left it off this list.

[Krissykins]

The Ring (2002) is so good, and I think it’s much better than the original. Naomi Watts is terrific in it. I need a rewatch, haven’t seen it in a few years.

[Cap]

On 10/24/2021 at 7:08 PM, WrathOfHan said:

. The single top ten placement did the heavy lifting to get it onto the list;

You’re welcome!